The Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission cited UC Davis’ “shared purpose, professional pride, and inclusive belonging that fosters active engagement and shared governance across the university” as the regional accreditation agency renewed the university’s accreditation for 10 years.

UC Davis has been fully accredited since 1954 by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission, commonly referred to as WSCUC. It is one of 218 institutions accredited by WSCUC, which conducts peer-led reviews of public, private and nonprofit colleges and universities in California, the Pacific region and even overseas.

As UC Davis prepared for this year’s renewal, university leaders selected two themes under WSCUC’s Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation process: review of the 2020 Initiative, and Student Success and Equitable Outcomes. Eligible institutions that have demonstrated consistent evidence of a healthy fiscal condition, strong student achievement indicators and sustained quality performance are able to pursue reaccreditation via the thematic pathways. UC Davis’ 2020 Initiative aimed for planned growth, greater financial stability, and enhancements to the national and international diversity of the student body to the benefit of the university’s academic mission.

WSCUC’s Evaluation Team came to campus in late October and early November as part of its evaluation process and held open meetings with students, faculty and staff. Before the visit, a UC Davis steering committee engaged with colleges, schools and departments, as well as other units, to share details about the process and solicit contributions to the narrative report, the required data exhibits and related evidence.

In a letter to Chancellor Gary S. May, the interim president of WSCUC, Christopher N. Oberg, credited UC Davis for its collaborative culture, institutional transparency, progress on improving graduation rates and closing achievement gaps, fostering a results-driven culture of inclusivity and diversity, using data analytics to advance institutional excellence and accelerate gains in student achievement, supporting global education, and achieving eligibility as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

“We’re proud that our peers recognized the hard work on the part of our faculty and staff to make continuous improvements in our mission of teaching, research and service, as well as the progress we have made toward our institutional goals,” May said. “Accreditation is an important milestone for our institution and a reaffirmation of the many achievements we’ve made over the past decade, as well as a reminder to constantly strive for improvement.”

Earning and maintaining accreditation demonstrates that UC Davis’s academic programs have met rigorous standards for quality, capacity and effectiveness. Accreditation also confers a variety of benefits, especially access to federal financial aid resources.

University accreditors rely on experts in higher education, business and management to analyze institutional performance using sophisticated tools and reliable data.